Bega gallery celebrates gifted artist's donated collection

THE Bega Valley Regional Gallery is celebrating the donation of the Shirley Hannan Collection with its latest exhibition.

BVRG curator Iain Dawson is pleased to present a collection of Shirley Hannan's work throughout July and August, some pieces of which have never before been show publically.

THE Bega Valley Regional Gallery will be celebrating the donation of the Shirley Hannan Collection to the people of the Bega Valley Shire with a special exhibition of selected works during July and August.

Gallery curator Iain Dawson said the exhibition name, Gifted, was a play on words, encompassing both Ms Hannan’s artistic gift and the extraordinary generosity of the Hannan family in making a gift of the collection.

“This exhibition represents a selection of Shirley’s work, including drawings and sketches that have never been publicly exhibited before,” Mr Dawson said.

“The whole Shirley Hannan Collection comprises some 160 pieces, which we will treasure as a gift to the community.

“Her series of works include her Russian Characters, Shearing Sheds and her Australian Aboriginals.”

Mr Dawson said there would be public programs held at the gallery during the Gifted exhibition and he was hoping that people who knew Ms Hannan would help talk about her and her work.

“There are a lot of people in the shire who never had the opportunity to meet Shirley and who would love to know more about her,” he said.

The winner of the People’s Choice prize for the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award will also be announced during the Gifted opening night.

The Gifted exhibition will open at 6pm on Friday and will run until August 16.